Anger??

[tarita2004]

So for this last week or so (when i really noticed it) my chin Andy has been acting so strange! I think i've narrowed it down to anger but not sure what from, as nothing conflict or negative has happened in between him and i he also gets 'angry' at my bf Angry= *hissing/spitting and digging at the bars at us and he nipped me once on the arm the other day*
I know there has been packing/moving of my roommate and now i've started packing (but all the packing is done outside my room which the door stays shut so he has his 'peace and quiet' to sleep during the day with the air conditioning running to keep him at his ideal temp.) but this behavior started before all this moving stuff...it has gotten worse but STILL dont know the direct cause...anyone had a chin get angry over something??

I know he really likes his 'treats' and he would sometimes dig at the bars to get one and if it was time for him to have one, i'd give it to him...but now i open the cage and hand the treat to him, he eats it, then goes back up on the shelf and digs and acts angry. so it's not helping... what did i do to make him so mad??
I even tried sitting down and calmly talking to him and he sits up on his shelf and acts all normal but then if i move or even sometimes if i dont he makes mean noises towards me !!! but sometimes if i'm just sitting there looking at him trying to figure him out he'll talk to me/make noises like he's trying to tell me somehting or chew my butt! lol...but not sure why/what he wants!
So then i tried to give him lots of 'quiet time' to calm down or what not and he's still being a turd-bird!!

any ideas to calm this guy down?? advice?? questions? (i could have missed something up there ^ or not explained something well enough)

I considered vet action thinking he could be sick but his poos are all normal, he's eating and drinking normal too! and he is super energetic and such...just overly energetic towards trying to 'get at us' thru the bars?!?!?

thanks ahead of time!!

[mulder]

wow hun i've no idea? have you maybe not spent much time with him lately??

[tarita2004]

Oddly, he gets no more or no less attention....
>except when i did both (for days) to see if it would help...neither of which did, he's being a total turd!
I'm kinda worried the move will REALLY make him mad
Hope he gets over his 'mid life crisis' or whatever to call it!?!?!?!?

[Sasami]

How old is he? Maybe it's hormones?

[tarita2004]

i think he's like 3 or 4...do they really get hormonal??

[Sasami]

I don't know since I don't have Chinchillas but most animals do . But I'd imagine at that age he'd be past all that.

[tarita2004]

yea, i would think he's past it too...but still quite temper-mental!! LOL...

[Jade]

If his routine was upset, it may take him some time to chill out again. If you've decreased his out of cage time due to packing, etc. he may simply be demanding that again too.

It's honestly hard to say. They're strange little creatures.

[tarita2004]

thanks for your reply Jade!!
hehe...He still gets his same 'out time' but he might just feel weird w/only me living here...it's alot quieter... which one would think he'd like more quiet time during the day while he sleeps...lol...
perhaps after the move and he gets settled into the new place i can get him back on track

[tarita2004]

(and get him to stop nipping/getting mad at his mommy!!) lol!!!!!!

[Amethystbelle]

I agree its probably the change in his routine that has triggered the behavioural change, keep an eye on him and see if he improves once you are settled in your new place. Do you think he is lonely and after more attention?

I've found they tend to be creatures of habit. Ralph my male chin gets mad if i don't let him out on time, he starts to throw things around and he stomps around the cage. I've never know a creature like it. He has been neutered aswell so can't put it down to hormones so much, they are strange little creatures at times

[HaileyS]

This might sound weird, and not sure it will help. My bf bought our female chinchilla, and spent days with her before bringing her home to me. She kind of loved his attention. For a few months it was good, she was being given attention by both of us and she was happy and attitude free. Then he moved out and got his own place and stopped giving her so much attention. She would get so mad she hissed, barked, and never came out of her igloo. When I would be at his place and come home she would flip out on my and nip at me. I figured it was because I smelt like him and she was mad he was not giving her attention and was just taking her anger out on me for smelling like him.

She continued that for about 2 months and then we got her a cagemate and it stopped instantly. She got the attention from me, daily outside time, treats and everything was normal but the attitude. I do not know if it was from my bf's lack of attention to her or the fact she was lonely and needed a cagemate. But she is mad now because she is pregnant. So, with her I can't win. Goodluck!!!

[ckane]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jade If his routine was upset, it may take him some time to chill out again. If you've decreased his out of cage time due to packing, etc. he may simply be demanding that again too. It's honestly hard to say. They're strange little creatures.

I agree with Jade. Something may have happened that frightened him or he is just mad at you for decreasing his play time. Just try to be patient with him.

[tarita2004]

well we are all moved now and he's still angry! lol...mr. cranky pants or "AA" for angry andy!
i cant do ANYTHING right unless i was to give him raisins all day and i told him that i wont let him become a diabetic just to get him to love me! haha! hope he gets used to things soon!!

[tarita2004]

things are still rough w/andy i dont know what to do?? and how do i 'teach him' to not bite me?? i know yelling or hitting him is NOT the answer so i dunno what to do??!?!!? he bit me on the nose today! i dunnnoo..... sigh! i wish he'd stop being angry!!!